2024-2025 Financial Aid Updates

Dear Titans,

For the 2024-2025 application year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)Opens in new window will undergo changes relating to the FAFSA Simplification Act enacted into law. The changes to the FAFSA will impact the information requested from students and their families, as well as the potential eligibility of grant and loan aid for applicants during the 2024-2025 academic year.

For further details on the 2024-2025 application year, the Free Application for Federal Student AidOpens in new window (FAFSA) or California Dream Act ApplicationOpens in new window (CADAA) and eligibility information can be found on our CSUF financial aid webpageOpens in new window . In addition, Pro Tips for completing the FAFSA Form can be found on the Federal Student Aid Website.Opens in new window  

Also, please note that on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees approved a multi-year tuition increaseOpens in new window beginning the 2024-2025 academic year. Please note that the tuition increase will be implemented for all 23 CSU campuses. As part of the CSU system, Cal State Fullerton must manage this increase for the next academic year.

Please see below for further details.


Sincerely,

CSUF Office of Financial Aid

APPLICATION TIMELINE FOR THE 2024-2025 FAFSA 

When will the 2024-2025 FAFSA become available? 

  • Application is now available!Opens in new window

  • To learn more about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and supporting with applying please visit our FAFSA webpage Opens in new window .  

Will the Office of Financial Aid offer application workshops?

The California priority application deadline for the 2024-2025 FAFSA is: 

  • May 2, 2024  

2024-2025 FAFSA UPDATES AND HIGHLIGHTS: Better FAFSA

What will change on the application? 

1. A simplified application process:

    • The number of application questions has been reduced and this has decreased the time needed to complete the FAFSA form.  

2. Expanded eligibility for Federal Pell Grant Opens in new window :

    • More students will be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, and some students may be eligible for more Federal Pell Grant than before.  

3. Reduced barriers for applicants:

    • The Federal Tax Information (FTI) requested will be secure and transferred for all taxpayers.  

    • Both students and parents/guardians will be able to create their own Federal Student Aid (FSA) IDs Opens in new window , even those with no Social Security Number (SSN).  

      • Please note that FSA IDs refer to the FAFSA application’s username and password required to submit a FAFSA  

4. Change from Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to Student Aid Index (SAI):

    • Beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the EFC is being replaced by the SAI  

    • The SAI refers to the new tool used for determining and awarding need-based grants and scholarships  

      • What is the difference?  

        • The FAFSA will remove the question asking for the number of family members in college

        • Additionally, there is also a possibility for the SAI to be a negative number, with a minimum SAI of -1,500 instead of zero  

 

Known Issues/Challenges with the 2024-2025 FAFSA:

Contributing to the FAFSA without a Social Security Number (SSN)

Beginning with the 2024-2025 application year, "Contributors” (parents) without a Social Security Number (SSN)Opens in new window can now create an FSA IDOpens in new window to sign the application, provide demographic, financial, and other important information. Prior to the 2024-2025 FAFSA Opens in new window parents and contributors without a Social Security Number (SSN) they were not able to.

 

However, a new challenge has emerged for contributors without a social security; though they can now successfully obtain an FSA IDOpens in new window (studentaid.gov account & password), they are not able to actually contribute to the FAFSAOpens in new window . Federal Student Aid (FSA) has communicated that they intend to have this issue resolved in the first half of March 2024.

 

For a full list of currently known issues with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, please click on the button below.

2024-2025 FAFSA IssuesOpens in new window

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION On THE 2024-2025 FAFSA UPDATES: Better FAFSA

Use of Federal Tax Information:

  • The FAFSA Simplification Act (Act) requires that whenever possible, the FAFSA use data received directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to calculate a student’s SAI and Pell Grant award.   

Changes to need: Dependency Status:

  • A FAFSA applicant’s SAI will be determined by their dependency status. A student's dependency status may be one of the following:   

    • Dependent students  

    • Independent students without dependents other than a spouse  

    • Independent students with dependents other than a spouse  

  • Beginning with the 2024-2025 award year, students who are separated will no longer be considered married and should not indicate they are married on the FAFSA. Unless independent by a measure other than marriage, they will be considered dependent students.  

Provisional (Temporary) Independent Status:

  • Beginning with the 2024-2025 award year, dependent students that indicate that they have unusual circumstances that prevent them from providing parent data will no longer receive a rejected application but will instead have their application processed with a provisional (temporary) independent status. This will generate documents with a temporary SAI and an estimate of federal student aid eligibility.

Other notable changes:

  • The number of family members in college is no longer a factor in determining need.

  • The definition of family size has changed to be the same as the number of individuals reported as dependents on the applicant’s (if independent) or applicant’s parents’ (if dependent) U.S. tax return. Applicants may update family size if it changes after filing the tax return.

2024-2025 CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT APPLICATION (CADAA) UPDATES: Better CADAA

For 2024-2025, the California Student Aid Commission Opens in new window (CSAC) is working on making updates to the CADAA per recommendations from the Renewing the Dream Report Opens in new window that was released earlier this year. The notable changes are:  

  • Application timeline: 

    • CADAA was released on the same date as the FAFSA - December 31, 2023.  

    • CADAA's priority deadline was May 2, 2024.  

  • Change from Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to Student Aid Index (SAI): 

    • The 2024 -2025 CADAA will include some of the changes from the new FAFSA such as the incorporation of the Student Aid Index (SAI) in place of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  

  • Inclusion of Race/Ethnicity/Gender questions: 

    • The questions will be optional and will not impact a student’s financial aid eligibility. The information obtained will be used for CSAC research purposes only.  

  • AB 540 Affidavit inclusion: 

    • Following the progress of Assembly Bill 1540 Opens in new window , CSAC will include the questions for the determination of nonresident tuition exemption (commonly referred as AB 540 affidavit) within the CADAA and provide a way to allow institutions to collect a student’s answers to the AB 540 affidavit. Note : Colleges and universities will continue to make final determinations of AB540 eligibility.  

  • Parent Signature Process changes: 

    • CSAC is working to allow the parental signature into the original submission, which may eliminate the separate PIN creation process.  

Update on approved multi-year tuition increase for the California State University (CSU) 

On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees approved a multi-year tuition increase Opens in new window beginning the 2024-2025 academic year . Please note that the tuition increase will apply to all 23 CSU campuses . As part of the CSU system, Cal State Fullerton must also manage this increase for the next academic year.  

 

The  multi-year tuition increase Opens in new window  will benefit current and prospective students in three important ways:  

  1. Provide the necessary resources for each university to further the CSU’s core values of equitable excellence and access;  

  2. Provide tuition stability and predictability for students and parents; and  

  3. Enhance financial aid and affordability for those students with the greatest financial need.  

 

For more information, please view the Multi-Year Revenue Sustainability plan Opens in new window .  

 

What does the increase mean for you?  

Full time undergraduate students will see a tuition increase of $342 for the 2024-2025 academic year, or $171 per term.  

 

The tuition increase will take effect in the 2024-2025 academic year. Your cost of tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year will not be affected.

 

Visit the Multi-Year Tuition Increase FAQ website Opens in new window to view the new tuition rates from academic year 2024-25 through 2028-29.  

 

What does this mean for your financial aid?

Undergraduate students eligible for California state financial aid programs such as the State University Grant Opens in new window ( SUG ) and Cal Grant Opens in new window (CG) will see an increase of $342 for the 2024-2025 academic year to cover the total tuition increase. Meanwhile, the Middle-Class Scholarship Opens in new window (MCS) will cover a portion of the tuition increase.  

 

Students eligible for federal financial aid programs such as the Pell Grant Opens in new window and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Opens in new window (FSEOG) will not see an increase in these federal aid programs to accommodate the tuition increase. Pell Grant and FSEOG are federally funded, and do not cover increases to state tuition. In addition, please note that Pell Grant and FSEOG eligibility are based on your student need and enrollment status.  

 

What do you need to do?  

We encourage you to continue to apply for financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Opens in new window ( FAFSA ) or California Dream Act Application Opens in new window ( CADAA ) for the 2024-2025 application year the applications are now open . Please apply as soon as the applications become available so that your eligibility can be determined , and you receive the maximum amount of financial aid. The priority deadline for the FAFSA and CADAA was May 2, 2024.